The Irish standard., 1887-07-30
A TALK WITH POWDERLY.
The General Master Workman of the
Knights will not Resign-Qualifca-
tions Required for His Position.
A MOST ONEROUS CHARGE,
Education and Temperance His Favorite
Subjects Prospects Of the Order About
Immi grafton and Other Matters.

lululiBrdElCH auN OUlltl iudbtClSs
II will favor an open convention at
Minneapolis in October" said General
Master Workman I'owderly before
leaving Philadelphia for western
Pennsylvania a few days ago. He was
talking to All emissary of the New
York Herald. II believe an open con-
vention will result in much good to the
order. It will have a tendency to in.
spire the confidence of the public, and
show that the order is not ashamed OF
public scrutiny. If the gentlemen OF
the press could see for themselves
what sort Of proceedings are carried on
in the general conventions | am salts.
fed ,hey would be astonished at the
character of the reports that have here
tofore been made concerning those pro
ceedings. The order has grown to such
proportions that it is really a pity its
transactions, if they must be reported,
should be reported on second and third
hand information and very often upon
thoroughly groundless rnmors. J. be-
lieve we would be properly reported
and that there would be less complaint
OF Injustice and untru,h ii we had the
reporters Oh the floor. And [ also be-
lieve that if this privilege were &C
corded them they would credit us with
holding conventions that compare fay-
orably in the decorum observed and the
intellectual ability of the members with
those of any organization in the
world"
''Do you propose to resign your office
in October?'
"Emphatjcally, no. Not unless the
convention desires it. I say mo- be-
cause il is my duty to the order to serve
cut the term for which was elected. I
was elected to do certain work and am
trying TO do it. 1t is not completed,
and so long us I nave the health and
strength to keep it, will do 50. Per
haps If J. consulted my own interests 1
wou]d resign, and it is a sense Of duty
only that holds me to the office. In
stead of being an autocrat in the place,
am really and practically the creature
of every man OF woman in the order
who wants to find fault with me. The
letters [ receive daily that have to be
answered carefully and intelligently
would crush any ordinary business
man. This is not said egotistica]]y, but
cite it as one of the things showing
how active and attentive general mas
ter workman Of the knights OF Labor
mas to be. The clerical work put upon
him is OF itself more than any one man
should be expected to perform. 1t is
only because OF long experience and
carefully trained acquaintance with the
machinery of the order that [ am able
to keep up with it, In the face of all
this, the general master workman must
think for the order and study for the
various phases of the great problems OF
the day. He must keep posted on the
events, not only in labor, but all other
circles, and he must endure the criti-
cis1ns that invariably roll in after every
act and official utterance. 1t requires
man Of iron nerve, and am not will
ing TO admit that my nerve is suffi-
GENTLY strong to stand the pressure
more than one term. Should leave the
office today, feel [ could be of as much
service to the order as have ever been
IoFo x,,n,,1l ai ,,1 ,rf foy,
successor gladly and wilingly-for he
would need cheerful, willing and un~
selfish assis tance-and | would devote
myself to literary work in the interest
of at least Two great questions i'll the
order-education and temperance. I
would require every man, woman and
child to learn to read, write and cipher.
That SO many working people do not
understand even these three rudi
mentary branches of learning is shame
and disgrace. But there is no disgrace
deeper and more marked than the dis
grace that hovers around the drunkard.
They impose upon us in the order. They
bring on trouble between employers and
honest workingmen. They go to work
drunk, are discharged, and, sobering up,
they appear before their assemblies and
present their grievances. But the one
side is heard and the complainant seems
to be much abused man. Are we JUS
titled in keeping such imposteors with
us Can we excuse men who wilfully
delude their brother workbench ? Yet
I myself am called upon frequently to
take hand in the settlement of labor
troubles attributable to this cause. Re-
Gently had occasion to interfere in a
dispute OF large proportions, wherein
the hands sought to sustain one of their
number who had been discharged. He
had represented himself as badly
treated man, and had so worked upon
ahe feelings Of his fellows that sup
r r.. j .. I (